Annastacia Palaszczuk found in contempt of Queensland parliament over Anning speech

Sonia Kohlbacher

Published: 22/10/2019Updated: 22 October 2019 11:18 am

Anning brawl

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been found in contempt for taking funding from Katter's Australian Party when MPs refused to denounce former senator Fraser Anning. Credit: AAP

Queensland's premier has been forced to apologise after being found in contempt for taking funding from Katter's Australian Party when MPs refused to denounce former senator Fraser Anning.

Annastacia Palaszczuk threatened to take away the discretionary funding she had given the minority party years earlier if its three Queensland MPs did not denounce Mr Anning over a speech.

In the video above, a man denies intimidating a reporter and assaulting a photographer at a Fraser Anning press conference

In a report tabled in parliament on Tuesday, the ethics committee found her actions amounted to improper interference with the free performance by the KAP members and constituted contempt of Queensland parliament.

"I accept the findings of the report," she told parliament.

"I accept responsibility for the actions I took which led to those findings, and I offer my unreserved and sincere apology to the House."

Annastacia Palaszczuk during Question Time at Parliament House on Tuesday. Credit: Dan Peled/AAP

Mr Anning was widely condemned for using the Nazi-associated phrase, "final solution", during his first speech in federal parliament.

The ethics committee found the premier intended her actions but did not intend to commit wrongdoing.

"The committee is cognisant that the premier believed that her actions in calling out 'hate speech' and putting what she believed to be legitimate pressure on others to also condemn hate speech, was in the public interest," the report said.

"But the premier is a senior, long-serving member and arguably, should have realised the consequences of her actions."